Proven Legacy
by enjaes
Summary: AU - Only Kushina died during the Kyuubi attack and Minato is left to raise Naruto alone, but he distances himself from the child he can't bear to raise. Naruto is left to grow his own way. With some fumbling and more help, he will become strong - both physically and mentally. Uchiha non-massacre. Either NarutoxItachi or NarutoxSasuke.
1. Chapter 1

A/N:

I've been on a long hiatus from writing and some of my other bleach and naruto fics have yet to be completed, but I PROMISE I'll get to them. Some of them are in the middle of being edited because I want to improve the story and can't stand for bad quality, so I sincerely apologise to the people who might know of them and are looking forward to more chapters.

This fic was inspired by the real life turmoil I have with family relations, and I try to keep what would happen realistic based on the premise that Naruto has a parent but still isn't given the attention he needs.

AU - Kyuubi attack did happen but only Kushina died with the bijuu sealed into her, leaving Minato to raise Naruto alone. Uchiha non-massacre. It starts when Naruto is aged 9, just before entering the Academy, and Minato is a cold and distant father to the child he couldn't bear being close to after Kushina's death.  
This story is probably going to be NarutoxItachi or NarutoxSasuke.

* * *

Naruto was waiting. For what, exactly, he wasn't quite sure, but he _was_ waiting. For something – _anything. Anything_ to take away the oppressive feeling of loneliness that weighed down upon his whole being each waking moment of his existence.

Although he had already come to expect that the man who was his father would never simply sit with him to talk or even look at him for more than a minute, he was still only nine and had lingering hope borne from the childish countenance.

Tomorrow would be the first day he starts at the Academy. In other ninja households, it was something to be celebrated, where fathers sit their sons down to regale them with tales of valor and provide encouragement for the tough challenges ahead.

Naruto was sitting alone at the dining table with two servings of dinner prepared in front of him, waiting for something that will never happen – someone who will never come.

The worst part of it was that Naruto felt _guilty_ to be feeling sorry for himself. His father was a busy man, respected by all in Konoha. The Hokage had more important things to busy himself with other than be with his son. It has been this way since Naruto could remember, and Naruto is proud of his father despite everything. His father was the man who caused enemy-nin to flee on sight, but also the same man who brought Naruto up with gentle hands and kind words.

Yet, there had always been a sort of distance to the way his father treated him – as if he was just another child to be coddled by an adult.

With a sigh, Naruto dug into his food.

It was already cold.

* * *

"Hokage-sama, here is the list of fresh students of the Academy. The speech and initiation is tomorrow."

Minato politely thanked Iruka before skimming through the list and hastily stamping at the corner to indicate that it has been looked at.

"Naruto starts tomorrow." Kakashi voiced from where he was perched by the window.

Minato and the ANBU guards in the office were used to jounin entering from not-the-door by now that none were even remotely fazed by the sudden intrusion.

"And?" Minato raised his brow while still looking down and shifting through papers.

Kakashi paused for a moment, remaining silent. Then, he merely moved to lounge on the couch in the room.

There was nothing to be said – nothing he could say.

Minato always got defensive whenever the topic of Naruto was brought up around him. Naruto was given shelter and plenty of food, what more good could a parent do? – Minato would insist.

They both knew Minato was wrong.

The man was so strong but so _broken,_ and only Naruto bore the brunt of the shattered pieces, while the rest of Konoha basked in the loyalty of their most steadfast protector.

Even while knowing that it wasn't remotely fair, Kakashi never reproached the man whom he respected above all other. Kakashi couldn't. Not when he had so many flaws and an irredeemable past himself.

After another few more hours with Minato plowing through paperwork like it was a battle to be overcome and Kakashi reading his choice-of-material-of-the-day, both men got up and left the office as per their routine.

Kakashi always walked the Hokage home in place of the ANBU guards whenever he was not away on a mission. It was against protocol for sure, but being the student of the Hokage, everyone saw fit to let them have their way. Plus, no one could really go against the Hokage's decisions.

When they reached the Namikaze compound, Kakashi was relieved to see that the lights were off and Naruto was already peacefully tucked in his bed. Call him a coward, but he didn't want to face the look of disappointment of the child he had grown unusually fond of, or the ice cold soldier his sensei turns into when around the bubbly boy.

"Good night, sensei." Kakashi bade as he turned to leave the compound, not stalling to hear the pleasantry returned.

Nearing the edge of the compound, Kakashi hesitated for a brief moment before hopping into a tree close to the spot where he knew an ANBU guard would be.

Sure enough, he was met with a masked ANBU who had his long black hair tied up into a pony-tail.

"How was he?" Kakashi asked as he perched himself on a suitable flat tree branch hanging over the compound.

"Quiet." Uchiha Itachi replied. There was only one boy Kakashi could be referring to.

Although being an ANBU was supposed to be a secretive affair (they wore masks for a reason), most jounin knew exactly who was ANBU and who wasn't. With jounin sharing whole subsidized apartment buildings and gossip in bars, it was usually obvious soon enough which jounin weren't on the usual mission rosters. If that wasn't already a giveaway, ANBU tattoos weren't hidden very well, especially after life-threatening battles when gear was torn and tattered.

The masks were worn mostly for the sake of civilians to live happier lives without knowing the faces of those who killed on their behalf and for preventing enemies from having specific targets when seeking revenge.

Suppressing a sigh, Kakashi knew that whatever conversation they were going to have was going to be mostly done on his part with this certain ANBU.

"The usual?" The question Kakashi posed left a bitter aftertaste on his own tongue because Naruto was quiet far too often these days. Sure, the boy was still jovial and bubbly whenever Kakashi went to officially visit, but when Naruto thought no one was around to look, he slipped into passive silence that didn't seem to suit the bright haired boy.

"More than." Itachi replied.

Kakashi expected that, but it didn't make hearing it any less painful.

The rest of the night was spent in the tree staring absently at a certain window of the apartment. It was an irrational and useless action, but Kakashi's warped sense of guilt forced him to punish himself stay by Naruto even though he knew doing something like that wouldn't help the boy in the least.

This became his routine for the next whole year while Naruto was in the Academy.

* * *

"Kashi-nii!" Naruto bounced up to him with a tray of sandwiches to offer one as way of greeting.

It was Naruto's tenth birthday – a year since he started at the Academy – and the Namikaze compound was open to friends and family as it was every year.

Also like usual, the only people in attendance were Naruto's ANBU guards who _had_ to be there, and some other shinobi Naruto had made friends with. There was no one of Naruto's age group, and certainly no family.

"Nice. We can finally get the party started." Genma piped up from the fridge where he was pulling out bottles of sake. "The brat insisted on waiting for his _Kashi_ to come." He continued with a smirk – the famous and fear-inspiring copy-nin reduced to being given pet names was allowed only in Naruto's presence and everyone knew that.

"The boss is going to be home around midnight so don't go crazy there." Naruto spoke around the two sandwiches he had stuffed in his mouth.

"I bogged down Minato-sama with enough paperwork to last us through the night." Iruka said as he winked.

Naruto simply laughed that trademark laugh of his and headed to the couch. No one expected the Hokage to show up for his son's party anymore after the constant years of no-show since Naruto's fifth birthday.

Kakashi frowned slightly under his mask and quickly schooled his expression before anyone could notice.

Naruto had taken to calling his father 'the boss' ever since he started at the Academy.

If Kakashi had been a trained psychologist, he would conclude that the boy was distancing himself from his only father-figure to protect himself from the pain of loneliness he had experienced all his life. But what did Kakashi know, right?

Settling in beside Naruto on the couch, Kakashi decided now was a better time than ever to approach the topic.

"Where are your Academy friends?" Kakashi was anything but subtle.

He felt more than saw Naruto tense slightly before relaxing once again.

"They're mostly assholes."

Tilting his head questioningly was Kakashi's way of probing for more information and Naruto gave in after some time of silence.

"Uchiha hates me, so the class hates me." Naruto finally admitted. "It's already been a year so I'm used to it." Naruto continued off-handedly.

Kakashi immediately looked to Itachi who was leaning against the wall behind the couch. The ANBU was supposedly on guard duty, but the chief gave them leeway to attend the party while still doing their jobs.

Kakashi knew the Uchiha was protective of his brother – the same one in Naruto's class and the exact one Naruto just slighted – so he was curious to see the stoic man's reaction.

Unexpectedly, Itachi didn't so much as glanced toward Kakashi from the attention he was receiving, but he was staring at Naruto. The thoughts and emotion in those dark eyes were indiscernible.

"I'll teach you a new jutsu once I'm back in a week." Kakashi promised Naruto. There wasn't anything he could say about the class situation and he asked about it only ease the weight of the boy bottling up emotions.

"I'll definitely have it down in a day." Naruto said as he grinned – full teeth and all.

Kakashi simply smirked and ruffled the blonde hair.

Naruto had a way of attracting people to him. It's a kind of attraction that isn't immediate, but before you know it, it gets under your skin and becomes an itch that is only relieved when you are close to the sunny boy. Kakashi suspects it wasn't really hate that the Uchiha brat (the younger grumpy one, not the older stoic one) was feeling.

True to Iruka's word, Minato never returned that night and the party only ended at close to two in the morning when Iruka, like the secret mother hen that he was, shooed everyone out of the building and forced Naruto to shower before tucking the birthday boy into bed.

Since it was already that late, Kakashi chose not to sleep that night and stay in his favourite spot on the edge of the Namikaze compound.

* * *

Kakashi hated new recruits.

They were arrogant without basis.

Weak.

He should never have let Minato talk him into facilitating the training camp of new ANBU recruits.

Although Kakashi wasn't officially ANBU anymore, no one ever really leaves, and the veterans usually get called back for specific missions that required their skill set or for training new members.

This intake of new members was especially large so the training camp was more of a way to thin the herd and let only the truly competent ones remain.

The rejected shinobi would feel sorry for themselves and disagree, but while Konoha wasn't at war, Minato rightfully saw no need to include more ANBU whose lives were occupied with sweat of their own and the blood of others.

"How has it been so far?" Kakashi asked a masked ANBU he knew to be Itachi. Somehow, Kakashi and Itachi had grown close – as close as two shinobi who had seen blood and death more often than love and life could get – over the years being Naruto's guard. One ordered to and one self-appointed.

"Number five will definitely make it through. The rest are subpar but show promise."

Kakashi raised a brow under an ANBU mask of his own.

Itachi hardly ever praised anyone's skill.

No, the Uchiha wasn't arrogant in the least. It was just that Itachi's own skill far surpassed an ordinary shinobi's so everyone else paled in comparison.

"Let's pile on the pressure then." Kakashi concluded as he leapt to another branch he could use as an alternative vantage point to survey the trainees.

This was going to be a long week. In his mind, Kakashi was already planning how to teach an Academy student who had minimal knowledge of chakra how to pull off the jutsu that he promised to teach.

* * *

At the end of the week, there were officially five new ANBU.

Numbers… one, four, five, eight, and nine.

It was a promising batch.

They managed to stay alert and wary even on the last day of the camp, and it was known that the difficulty increased the more potential the facilitators saw in them – this batch had been going through the most intense level of the training camp since day one.

The recruits now staggered into the ANBU building's hall, coming off from the high of physical exertion through the past week. They now had to go through the ceremony with their superiors in attendance to receive their ANBU tattoo and trade their training mask for an official ANBU mask.

Kakashi was seated with a group of senior ANBU and slouched next to Itachi. He was sorely tempted to whip out his reading material to pass the time, but with so many ANBU around, his chances of getting caught were high. He didn't want to suffer through having to explain the contents of the book to the stern-faced chief again.

The new recruits were now stripping off their shirts and removing their masks, pointing to certain areas of their skin where they wanted their ANBU tattoo–

Wait–

Removing their masks–

That–

Kakashi heard some sort of strangled sound from Itachi beside him.

He blinked.

And blinked again.

There was a collective intake of breaths of the ANBU around him.

Then it finally registered – the shock of blond hair and striking blue eyes was a marker anyone would notice.

The Hokage's son was standing there among the recruits, with too many scars Kakashi had never known to be on his body.

The top recruit.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the ceremony master read out, "may your Will of Fire burn strong."

The tattoo was inked just below Naruto's left collar bone leading to his neck.

As Kakashi was wondering how much trouble he would get into for disrupting the ceremony and pulling the brat out, he felt a flash of movement beside him before seeing Itachi appear in the middle of the hall to grab Naruto.

"Naruto." Itachi hissed loud enough for everyone to hear, which was surprising since the Uchiha _never_ lost his cool.

A glance around the hall proved that this was new to everyone else as well.

"Your father hasn't heard of this." It came out as more of a statement than a question.

"He hasn't." Naruto stared levelly back at the Uchiha. "And he wouldn't."

The hall was eerily silent as they watched the Uchiha process the meaning behind Naruto's statement. No one moved to interfere, and no one would move before their chief gives an indication. Kakashi suspected the chief himself was unsure what to do in the face of having the Hokage's son conscribe himself into the ANBU.

"Uzumaki." Itachi whispered.

"Not Namikaze." Naruto acknowledged.

"Wrap up this ceremony." The ANBU chief finally spoke up. "Both of you," he pointed toward the pair in a tense grip on each other, "come with me."

Inviting himself to go along with them since he was technically the closest thing Naruto had to a guardian other than Minato, Kakashi followed the ANBU chief.

As soon as the office door was shut behind them, their chief sat at his desk and stared at Naruto.

"Why do you want this?"

It was the only question that mattered. If the brat was doing it only to get the attention of his mostly absent father, the chief wouldn't hesitate to throw him out. But if the boy truly had the desire to go through with it for his own sake, the chief would not reject their most promising candidate since Uchiha Itachi had joined.

"Because I'm strong enough now."

The answer wasn't what the chief expected, but with the fiery gaze that was full of conviction the boy had, it was acceptable.

"All new recruits are to stay on base until further notice. You will have to leave your home." _Your father would know eventually,_ was unspoken but understood.

"I have a bunshin I used even during the training camp." Naruto offered.

The chief was impressed and only mildly surprised that the boy knew kage-bunshin. Going through the harsh camp and still having chakra to spare was no mean feat.

"Very well. Move your things and get your assignment. You start tomorrow." The chief said as a dismissal.

* * *

After they left the chief's office, Itachi rounded on Naruto.

"I didn't help you with your training for _this._ " Itachi spoke so harshly it was came out almost as a growl.

Naruto looked like he was warring between cowering and retorting back.

Watching the two, Kakashi could see that their relationship had obviously grown past being mere guard and ward.

 _When had that happen?_

Kakashi decided to intervene.

"Itachi, he made his choice just like you and I did."

The pair of sharingan eyes shifted to focus on Kakashi and even the copy-nin who had faced countless near death battles was more than a little intimidated. Itachi was feared even by Konoha-nin for a reason.

Now he knew why Naruto seemed to spend so much time on training grounds even without anyone to teach him. It had been Itachi helping him while being his guard.

"Do you know what you're getting into?" Itachi turned back to Naruto.

"I do." There was an apology hanging at the end of those words but Naruto knew it wasn't what Itachi would want even if the older boy was against this lifestyle for Naruto.

"I want to do this." Naruto confirmed again.

Itachi still wasn't happy, but he shunshined away without another word, leaving Naruto to stand with Kakashi outside the office.

Kakashi wasn't happy with what Naruto had decided either.

Heck, he never even knew the boy had such skill. He was a prodigy through and through like his father, but talent or not, Kakashi knew there was a lot of hard work put into training. No one got that good easily, especially at such a young age. Kakashi had to pause to wonder just how much of his time he had spent shadowing a bunshin while the original was off training somewhere.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Kakashi turned to address Naruto.

"Naruto–"

"I know." Naruto cut him off with a look that suggested wisdom beyond his years.

The bright blue eyes held power and knowledge that no child that age should have. It was the eyes of a shinobi to match the scars Kakashi now knew littered across the lithe frame.

Kakashi kept quiet and walked Naruto home.

 _Is that even really his home?_

* * *

A/N:

Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think about it. Any opinion is welcome! (aka I REALLY NEED REVIEWS BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA IF THIS UNCOMMON PREMISE IS GOING TO WORK)


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto knew he wasn't a good person.

The other kids at the Academy see him as a selfish, stuck up brat, and the look in their eyes suggested they were wondering why he was the one who was the Hokage's son. He wasn't worthy enough.

Naruto agreed with them.

Just because those opinions came from naïve children who didn't know any better didn't make them any less true.

Naruto knew he carried himself differently from the other children. Sure, some of the others were also clan heads who had expectations to live up to, but none of them had the polite indifferent air Naruto wrapped himself with – as if constantly in a political battle. Naruto tried to be like the rest at first, laughing at the stupidest jokes and weighing in on pranks, but he got so tired.

How was he supposed to laugh while the lunch lady got subtly bullied when Naruto knew how much work it took to meticulously prepare food? How was he supposed to pretend he didn't know exactly how painful it was to learn new jutsus and still jest with the others as if being a ninja was no big deal? How was he supposed to understand when the other children talk about family outings and celebrations when the only ones he'd ever experienced were a lifetime ago?

The best he could do was to speak cordially and awkwardly laugh even when he wanted to act out.

Naruto concluded that he was stuck up, but only because he was placed on such a high pedestal and brought up so differently since birth that there was no way he could join the masses no matter how much he wanted to.

He was also selfish.

Any starry-eyed ninja hopeful would say otherwise, but being an ANBU was no glorious achievement. Naruto knew that. Their lives were dark and dirty and being the Hokage's son, Naruto had been exposed to too much of it.

Naruto would like to think that he had a good reason for joining despite knowing how much his friends would be against it, but he knew that his motivations were impure and entirely personal.

The first time Naruto met his Uchiha guard, he was only six years old. Perhaps that was when Itachi had still been new to ANBU, but the Uchiha made the mistake of outing himself to his ward when he extracted Naruto from a group of bullies in the park. It was a common scene at that time, when Naruto had still been too weak to stand up for himself despite having already learned some chakra techniques from Kakashi. Bigger children wanted to 'challenge' themselves by going against the Hokage's son – and there was no one to stop them from doing it.

Naruto was sure the ANBU guards weren't allowed to act on such a minor commotion, but Itachi pulled him out and patched him up regardless.

Since that time, Naruto had grown instinctively attached to the older boy, likely because he subconsciously knew Itachi was his protector - out of sight but constantly there. Naruto learned as much as he could about the Uchiha through listening to shinobi gossip (it's surprisingly easy) and reading around on his own.

From what he learned, there was only one consensus. Itachi was a machine – cold and precise. Unfeeling.

The six-year-old Naruto felt disappointed that he might never feel those gentle hands tending to him again.

Thinking about it now, Naruto could safely say he had developed a crush on the Uchiha back then. Even as a child so young, however, he had been around enough adult jounin to know that crushes are not anything close to love. He resigned himself to simply let it die, but that didn't mean he wasn't still interested in Itachi as a person.

The next time Naruto saw Itachi against was at his seventh birthday party.

Never one to back down from anything, Naruto approached Itachi during his seventh birthday party and asked Itachi to teach him a fire jutsu.

As simple as that, one lesson led to the next, and their routine begin.

During the time that Itachi spent away on ANBU missions, Naruto would grow restless and end up resorting to pranks to fool around with the other ANBU guards and jounin. Needless to say, his father's disapproving gaze was always a more effective punishment than anything else to stamp out the mischievous trait in Naruto.

Naruto never liked when Itachi wasn't around.

Kakashi helped him along with training too, but the copy-nin never gave him the type of attention and focus Naruto needed to thrive. Better than anyone else, Kakashi understood that physical age did not determine maturity, but somehow that never translated into his actions around Naruto. Perhaps it was because of the large age difference between them, but the way Kakashi spoke to Naruto always came across as if pacifying a child. Then again, maybe Kakashi just treated everyone that way.

Still, Kakashi was better for fooling around with, and the silence they shared during training was never quite as comfortable as it usually was with Itachi.

Naruto never knew why Itachi agreed to help him, but he would always be grateful for it. More than anything a teacher could ever teach him, he needed a friend.

About a year after Itachi started training him, Kakashi went on a week-long mission.

He returned only after two weeks and was being dragged to the hospital by his teammates.

It was the scariest scariest period Naruto had ever gone through.

Naruto was no stranger to death (this was a village of ninjas after all), but none had ever hit him so hard, and Kakashi hadn't even died.

The whole time Kakashi was fighting for his life in the hospital bed, Naruto spent in anguish.

There's nothing I can do?

It was then that he decided he would become strong. Strong enough to never have to feel something like that again. As much as Naruto always brashly accepts challenges and denies ever feeling scared, he was actually a coward. He didn't like staying in darkness for too long because it made him feel more alone than he really was, and he was absolutely terrified of feeling helpless in the face of losing those important to him. He couldn't help feeling gut-wrenching fear whenever Itachi or Kakashi were sent out on missions. It was there even when Iruka was sent to nearby towns for the simple matter of escorting civilians.

Naruto threw himself into training.

He pushed himself as much as he could bear with only a single goal in mind – power.

He also knew that Itachi and Kakashi and Iruka and basically everyone wouldn't approve of his application into ANBU at this young age (maybe even never), but he no matter how much training he puts himself through, he knew that it could never compare to field experience. ANBU was where he could get a truckload of it.

His classmates were right.

I'm a selfish bastard.

Naruto was on his bed at home as he smirked at the irony of that statement.

For all he knew, he really could be a bastard child.

* * *

A/N:

Thanks for reading and please leave a review on your way out :)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N:

SO SORRY!

I didn't notice that I had uploaded the chapter for my other fic instead. Thanks for notifying me, whoever you are :)

* * *

Naruto only had to report in for his ANBU training (yes, he was still a trainee) in three days, so he decided to attend his lessons at the Academy himself instead of using a bunshin. He probably wouldn't have another chance to experience regular school life anymore.

"Sasuke, would you like to join us for lunch?" Sakura quipped from where she was seated in the front row just as the bell rang to signal their break.

"No."

The broody Uchiha remained exactly where he was seated and took out his own bento, clearly wanting to be left alone.

As usual, the class had split into the usual cliques during the lunch period.

Naruto took out the bread he had brought from home to fill his stomach for the day.

"Hey, Naruto. Wanna join us?"

Over the past year, Shikamaru would ask after Naruto occasionally.

The Nara clan heir was the only one who didn't seem to care about social conventions and would interact with Naruto in class despite the glaring of Sasuke's fans. They weren't exactly friends since Shikamaru would always be too lazy to hang with Naruto outside of class, but then again, Shikamaru treated everyone that way. Naruto was as close as anyone could be to a dispassionate Nara.

Most of the time, Naruto's bunshin would make up some silly excuse to get out of having lunch with anybody since it would be disastrous if anyone found out about his absence.

It was different now.

"Sure!"

Naruto dragged a seat to the table where Shikamaru was already eating with Choji and Shino.

"So where have you been?" Shikamaru asked Naruto just as Naruto took the first bite of his bread.

Naruto almost choked, but quickly recovered before anyone else could notice.

He was praying to all the gods he knew of that Shikamaru was referring to anything other than what he was thinking Shikamaru was referring to.

From the look on the other boy's face, however, Naruto knew it was wishful thinking.

Shikamaru was way too intelligent for Naruto's good.

"What do you mean?" Naruto replied, still hanging on to the thin thread of hope that just _maybe_ the Nara heir would drop the topic.

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed slightly and the Nara looked more focused than any time Naruto had ever seen him.

Naruto knew he was fucked.

"Hm you were daydreaming in class so I thought your mind had travelled somewhere else." Shikamaru explained.

Naruto finally breathed again.

He had been let off the hook, but that only meant that Shikamaru was waiting for things to build up so that Naruto had no possible means of getting out of any questioning.

He inwardly sighed but continued the conversation as if the two of them hadn't just had an entirely different mental battle.

Of all the things the Nara had to choose to be interested in, it was Naruto's disappearance.

Naruto really had the best of luck. The absolute best.

* * *

There was something wrong in class today and Sasuke felt it the moment he entered to see that the seat behind his was empty.

Usually, Naruto would be almost an hour early and that was the one consistency Sasuke could count on everyday. Not that Sasuke ever tried to go to class earlier to check just what time Naruto arrived – because he definitely didn't.

Naruto only reached class just before the starting bell rang and dropped into his seat right as their sensei walked into class.

Throughout the morning lesson, Naruto's participation was few and far between. Usually, the blonde would say something silly or turnabout and say something so on point that it felt disconcerting (because what does Naruto even know about being a shinobi, right?). Naruto was being way too mild.

The next weird thing that happened was when Naruto joined the other clan heirs for lunch.

Naruto _never_ joined anyone for lunch.

Sasuke would never admit that the reason he himself never had lunch with anyone was because he might have been hoping to someday share his own lunch with Naruto. The other boy never brought anything other than bread to eat.

With how things stood, of course Sasuke was more than a little peeved when he heard Naruto laughing with the other boys, and he had to enforce his entire will on his body to keep from turning to look behind.

All too soon, lunch was over and everyone was cleaning up to prepare for the next class.

"Ew, get away from me!" One of the girls in class shouted.

At the front of the classroom near the whiteboard, Naruto had bent over picking up rubbish while the girl was cleaning the whiteboard.

Naruto seemed to be trying to placate the group of girls that had gathered around.

"You're such a pervert! Stay away! I'm going to call sensei to come." Another girl shouted before running out of class.

Sasuke never bothered remembering their names. Most students from civilian households quit sooner or later anyway.

Naruto looked so distraught that it was obvious there had to be a misunderstanding.

Once most of the class had gathered in front, Sasuke also moved to join the rest.

"What happened exactly?" Shikamaru spoke up from where he was standing close to Naruto.

"Naruto was peeping under Aimi's dress while she was cleaning the whiteboard." Someone replied.

"I definitely wasn't!" Naruto shouted, obviously agitated. "I wouldn't, even if there was something to look at." He spluttered indignantly.

The accuser looked offended at his insinuation and Shikamaru could only sigh.

Naruto really had no tact.

"What's going on here?" Their sensei demanded as he appeared at the door of the classroom.

While the girls were explaining their story, Sasuke could see Naruto's expression gradually get more and more dejected, as if he had given up on trying to defend himself. Somehow, that made Sasuke's chest feel tight. The expression does not suit Naruto.

"Sensei, that wasn't what happened." Sasuke spoke up as he pushed through the crowd.

Everyone in class seemed to suddenly hold their breaths.

Their sensei cleared his throat in the uncomfortable silence.

"What is your version of events, then?" Their sensei asked.

"Naruto simply happened to be picking up rubbish near where Aimi was standing. He wasn't even looking at her." Sasuke explained.

"And you would know where he was looking while you were far away wiping the tables?" Their sensei probed.

"I have sharp eyes." Sasuke offered as explanation.

Their sensei studied him for a moment before finally nodding.

No one questioned the eyes of an Uchiha. If that wasn't a universal rule, it should be.

"Get back to your seats." He ordered before bringing Aimi out of class.

Sasuke could hear him telling her that if she was still uncomfortable, she could take the remaining day off.

He inwardly scoffed. The girl had known exactly what she was doing.

Back at his seat, he felt Naruto scooch his chair closer to move directly behind him and felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Thanks for helping me, I would have been in huge trouble otherwise." Naruto looked into his eyes with full seriousness.

The look alone threw him off, since no one ever willingly stared into the eyes of an Uchiha – even an Uchiha who might not yet have the sharingan - but what Naruto said next came as an even greater shock.

"I thought you hated me." Naruto continued with his head cocked slightly to the side.

 _Hate who? Naruto?_

 _Why would he think that?_

Sasuke's mind was reeling, but as an Uchiha, he couldn't really show anything other than stoicism, could he?

"I don't." That was the only thing Sasuke could think to say.

Naruto only continued to look at him in confusion.

"I never did." Sasuke emphasized.

At that moment, their sensei walked back into class and they had to cut their conversation.

* * *

When class was finally dismissed for the day, Sasuke turned to talk to Naruto again, but was stopped when Shikamaru appeared next to Naruto's seat.

"Let's go to my house. There's this new shogi board I want to break in." The Nara said.

Naruto sighed.

"Can't Choji do it?"

Naruto knew there was something else Shikamaru wanted, but he was still going to try to weasel his way out of it if he could.

"I want to break in the board, not break it." Shikamaru deadpanned.

"Shino?" Naruto's voice came out as more of a hopeful whimper now.

Shikamaru simply stared at the blonde with _the look,_ which could either mean 'you might regret this for the rest of your life' or 'I'm going cloud watching so don't bother me'.

Naruto held no hope that it was the latter.

"Lead the way." Naruto said with a defeated sigh.

Sasuke was still standing at his seat, so Naruto waved a small goodbye to the Uchiha.

Overall, that day had been a good day.

* * *

"Are you going to talk?" Shikamaru asked while the two boys walked along the streets headed to the Nara compound.

"Do I have a choice?" Naruto sighed again.

The expression on Shikamaru's face told him that, no, he really didn't.

"I'm ANBU." Naruto dropped the bomb, deciding that it was best to just get it out there rather than beat about the bush.

Shikamaru stopped walking entirely, and it would have been comical if not for the fact that Naruto knew almost nothing could shock a Nara, which just made his revelation all the more risky.

"Since when?" Shikamaru asked once he had recovered from his shock.

The two boys were walking again, but there was a tension in their steps that was different from before.

"Only just." Naruto answered. He was grateful that Shikamaru wasn't suspicious about how he, the supposed failure in the class, even made ANBU. At least someone had faith in his ability as a shinobi.

"I see." Shikamaru said.

Naruto knew that Shikamaru really did see. He was more perceptive than anyone else, even when it seemed like he was so lazy that he didn't bother noticing the things around him. Too many people underestimated him because of that, and Naruto had a feeling it was exactly what he wanted.

"You won't tell anyone?" Naruto asked hesitantly.

"I won't"

The Nara left the topic alone after that, not because he wasn't curious, but because he could already understand all there was to the matter with just the simple revelation.

Naruto was grateful for that. He really didn't want to have to explain his whole life story.

"So, do I really have to go over and play shogi?" Naruto asked his companion.

Shikamaru had already gotten what he really wanted after all.

"Of course. A game is still fun no matter how bad my opponent is." Shikamaru replied.

Naruto wasn't even offended because what Shikamaru said was a fact, but he did feel obliged to at least attempt to trip the other boy for making the jibe.

As the two were nearing the Nara compound, they saw Shikaku and Minato walk out. Both men were still discussing something and hadn't seemed to have noticed them yet.

Before Shikamaru could call out to his father, Naruto dragged the boy with him into a narrow alleyway between two buildings.

"Wha–" Shikamaru began to speak before Naruto placed a hand over his mouth.

"Just wait until they leave." Naruto told his friend in a hushed tone.

Suddenly, there was steel in Shikamaru's eyes as he forced Naruto's hand away.

"You might not want to see your father, but I do want to talk to mine." Shikamaru whispered.

"Come on." Shikamaru dragged Naruto out from where they had been hiding to come face to face with both their fathers.

"Hey, old man, Hokage-sama." Shikamaru greeted.

"Hi, Hokage-sama, Shikaku-san." Naruto followed Shikamaru's example, looking anywhere but at his father.

"Ah, Naruto, it's good to see you again. My son dragged you here for a game, I presume?" Shikaku said as he laughed good naturedly, completely unfazed by the fact that both boys had just come out of a deserted alleyway. Living in Konoha was amazing like that.

Naruto sheepishly nodded.

"How was school today, Shika? You know if you we get one more complain about you sleeping in class your mom is going to do something about it, don't you?" Shikaku admonished as he attempted to look stern.

"Then it's going to be a pain for _me_ because she'll just get _me_ to do something about it." Shikaku continued, already envisioning how troublesome it would be, if the grimace on his face was anything to go by.

Naruto couldn't help but laugh at the antics of their fearsome jounin commander in front of his son.

"Shikamaru slept throughout class again today." Naruto couldn't help but snitch.

Shikamaru groaned from beside him.

"Tch. I expected no less from my son." Shikaku tried to sound disappointed, but Naruto could hear a hint of pride in his voice. "Help me keep him awake next time, won't you?" Shikaku turned to Naruto as he ruffled the blonde hair.

"I'm sure he won't appreciate it, but I'll try my best." Naruto answered with a wide grin.

"Don't give him ideas, Tou-san." Shikamaru huffed.

Shikaku laughed again.

"We have work to do now. You boys have fun." Shikaku said as both he and Minato continued walking down the street.

Throughout the whole conversation, Minato had been studying the documents in his hands as if looking away would spell world destruction.

* * *

"Minato." Shikaku probed.

The Hokage finally looked up from the papers.

"Hm?"

"Your son was there."

The slight falter in Minato's steps was the only indication that Shikaku had been heard. It was already more of a tell than Shikaku could hope for in the war veteran who was also their village's most powerful shinobi.

When there was still no acknowledgment after a while and Minato had went back to studying the documents, Shikaku sighed.

"He's a naturally cheerful boy, isn't he?" Shikaku spoke aloud.

Being the jounin commander and one of Minato's friends, he had been around the boy since birth.

Naruto had a naturally sunny disposition just like Kushina used to have, and Shikaku could still see it over the years every time he catches sight of the boy. He knew what Naruto had grown up with – or _without_ – but the boy never lost his smile. Over time, Shikaku could see that some of them had become fake, but the real ones were still there. The real, heart-warming ones that compelled people to want to see more of it – just like Kushina's. Even his own son, who couldn't even be bothered to attend any of his own friends' birthday parties, had already been drawn in.

"I wonder what kind of shinobi he's going to grow up to be." Shikaku mused aloud.

"Your son seems to be becoming exactly like you." Minato finally offered.

Shikaku chanced a quick glance at the other man. The change in topic was anything but subtle.

"He is, isn't he?" Shikaku laughed, deciding not to push it.

It wasn't widely known, but Kushina wasn't really the more stubborn one in the relationship she shared with Minato.

* * *

A/N:

Thanks for reading, and please leave a review on your way out!

Feel free to drop me PMs for any questions or discussion :)


End file.
